Window screen structure



Sept. 18, 1934. J. E. JOHNSON WINDOW SCREEN STRUCTURE Filed March 3, 1932 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STA 1,973,902 WrNDow SCREEN STRUCTURE lloseph Johnson, West Roxbury, Mass. Application 'Maeh s, 1932, serial No. 596,537

10 Claims.

This invention .relates to a window-screen structure of the class'wherein the screen frame is movable along guides secured to the window casing. Sometimes screen guides are made of wood, and sometimes they are made of metal; When they are made of metal, they are usually narrower and thinner than wooden guides. f Accordingly, it is customary to make the screen dimensions to suit the particular kind of guides with which the screen is to be used. For example, when wooden guides are to be used, the screen is made narrower and its grooves larger than when metallic guides are to be used, because the wooden guides customarily are wider and thicker than metallic guides. l

Wooden guides are apt to become broken or Worn, and are generally unsatisfactory because they are apt to swell and to cause the screen frame to stick; o-r they shrink and allow the screen to become displaced and to drop out. For lthis reason, sometimes it is considered desirable to change Vthe old installation by substituting metallic guides forthe wooden guides. The present invention makes it easilyvpossible to substitute metallic guides of the standard narrower width for the relatively wider and thicker wooden guides. This is accomplished'conveniently by the provision of runners attached to the screen within its grooves to compensate for the difference in width and thickness between the old Awooden guides which are to be replaced and the relatively narrower and thinner metallic guides. The nature of these runners is such that they can be attached quickly and conveniently to the screen frame. To compensate for variations within reasonable limits `of theY space betweenV the two guides, the runners on at least one side are adjustable toward and from the associated guide.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following description, when takenV in connection with the accompanying drawingof one specific embodiment thereof, vwhile its rscope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims. Y 1 InA the drawing: t

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in vertical section,

of a window-screen'st'ructure embodying the in-V i Fig. 2V is a horizontal, sectional view, on ,an en- Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional view,illustrating the operation of removing or replacing the screen;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view 'of .one of the nonadjustable runners;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view on line 5--5 of Fig. 2, illustrating one of the adjustable runners; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation, viewed from the righthand side of Fig. 5. 1

Referring to the drawing, and to the windowscreen structure illustrated therein, there is shown a window-screen 7, whose vertical members or stiles 8 and 9 are provided with usual grooves 10 and 11, to receive guides 12 and 13. These guides, as herein shown, are of the common metallic type hereinbefore alluded to. Usual springs 14, received in the groove 10, press against the adjacent guide 12, and provide sufficient resistance to maintain the screen in the desired positionvertically with respect to the guides.

Since the metallic guides 12 and 13 are nar rower and thinnerv than wooden guides, and since the width and depth of the grooves 10 and 11 is such' as to receive wooden guides, it is necessarythat the runners now to be described should not only nt into the grooves, but that they should compensate for the difference between the thickness of the wooden guides and metallic guides, as well as for their diierence in Width. In the case of the groove 10, which is customarily deeper than'the groove 11because of the use of the springs 14,1 provide a plurality of runners 15, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 4. This runnerhas a head 16, to be received in the groove 10, and a shank 17, to be received in the screen frame. A s herein'shown, Vthis shank is tapered, and pointed to enable it rto be driven into place as by a hammer, and to retain the same securely in place, the shank is provided with means such as spurs 18. The headl is provided with a groove 19 to receive a guide 12. The width of the entrance of this groove is such (see Fig. 2),v as to receivethe gudewith 'only suiiicient clearance to enablethe'runner to travel'easily along the guide. However, to facilitate removal and replacement ofthe screen by a horizontal swinging motion 4in thejcustomary manner (see Fig. 3)-, but without danger'of bending the guide, the sides of thegroove 19 diverge inwardly. This enables the screen to be rocked relatively to the guide, without damage to the latter. /In the present example, therhorizontal dimensions ofthe head 16 aresuch that it nllsthe groove 10 in both directions. 'Y r `At the other side of the screen, there are runners 20, each ofwhich has a head 21 and a' shank 22, the latter being tapered and pointed asin thecase vof the runnerl, and being also providedwith lateral projections 23 to retain the same i'p'lace inthe frame; y But'in this case, the lateral projections are presented by a screw-thread, which has the advantage of easy application by means of a screw driver, and provides a means of adjustment to compensate for variations within reasonable limits of the space between two guides 12 and 13. This can be accomplished by simply screwing the shank of the runner into the screen frame to the desired depth. In this case, the head 21 as herein shown .is tapered, and squeezes the wood of the frame sufficiently to produce considerable friction, tending to keep the runner from turning about its axis after it has been inserted to the required depth into the wood.

This runner is provided with a comparatively shallow groove 24, to receive the guide 13, and as the groove is shallow, there is no necessity for diverging sides, as in the case of the groove 19 of the runner 16. To reduce friction, the bottom of the groove 24, instead of being straight or fiat, is crowned (see Fig.. 5), as by being formed of two surfaces which intersect each other in a point 25 contacting with the edge ofthe runner 13. This enables the runner to slide on the guide with minimum friction.Y Moreover, all four of the runners-even without the special provision just described, have so small anv areain contact with theguides as to reduce friction very greatly, as compared with screen frames of the ordinary sort, bearing throughout the length'of their grooves on the guides. This in4 itself is an limportant and valuable feature.` y i Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is; i l

l. In a screen structure, the combination of a screen frame provided with two oppositely disposedl grooves, two single guides centrally received in and separated from the bottoms and Sides of said grooves, springs carried by said frame within said grooves, and resting against said guides, and two sets of runners carried by said screen frame within saidg-rooves in spaces not occupied by said springs andprovided with central grooves receivi g said guides, said runners being provided with integral Shanks extendinginto said-frame.

2. In a screen structure, the combination of a screen frame provided with two oppositely disposed grooves,two single guides centrally received in and separated from the bottoms andv sides of said grooves, springs carried by, said frame within said grooves,. and resting against said guides, andtwo setsr of*A runners carried by said screen frame withinsaid grocvesin spaces not occupied by said-springs and running ony said guides, said runners being provided with central grooves receiving said guides having integral Shanks eX- tending into said frame, and said shanksbeing provided withlateral projections-to ,retain ysaid Shanks in place.

3. In al screen structure, the combination of a screen frame provided with two oppositely disposed grooves,;two guides received in vand separated from the bottoms of said grooves, and .two sets of runners carried byx'said screen frame within Asaid grooves and running on` said,` guides, one setof runners, being provided withv integral threaded Shanks screwed into said frame, whereby said runners may be adjusted toward and from the adjacent, associated -guidesby rotating said runners'fabout the axes of Said'A Shanks.

' 4. In alscreen structure-the combination of a screenframe provided-with two oppositelydisposed grooves,-two"'guides receivedin and separated from the bottoms of said grooves, and two sets of runners carried by said screen frame within said grooves and running on said guides, each runner having a head provided with a fiat face which fills its groove from side to side, and a central groove receiving the associated guide, and a shank extending into said frame.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary screen runner to be Secured to a screen frame and to run ,ons a guide, the ysame comprising a U- Shaped head presenting a groove to receive the guide and an integral shank to be secured in the screen frame.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a Screen `runner to be secured to a screen frame and to run on a guide, the same being provided with a groove whose sides diverge inwardly from its entrance.

7. As anew article of manufacture, a screen runner to be secured to a screen frame and to run on a guide, the runner being provided with a groove whose bottom is longitudinally crowned.

8. In a screen structure, the combination of a screen frame provided with two oppositely disposed grooves, each having a bottomfand .two sides, two single guides centrally received between the sides of Said grooves and separated from the bottoms and sides of said grooves, springs carried by one side of said frame within one of said. grooves and resting against the guide in'such groove, a set of runners carried by said screen within such groove, in spaces not occupied by said springs, and provided with grooves receiving such guide, and a second set of runnerspcarried by said screen within the other groove and provided with grooves which receive the other guide.

9. In a screen Structure, the combination of a screen frame provided with two oppositely disposed grooves, each havinga bottom and two sides, two single guides centrally received between the sides of said grooves and separated from the bottoms and sides of said grooves, springs carried by one side of said frame within one of said grooves and resting against the guide in such groove, a set of runners carried by said screen within such groove, in spaces not occupied by said springs,land provided with grooves receiving' such guide, said runners being provided with Shanks received in said frame, and the Sides of said runners engaging the sides of such groove and preventing said runners from turning about said Shanks as pivots, and a second Yset of runners carried by said screen Within the other groove and provided with grooves which receive the other guide, said second set of: runnersjbeing .provided with Shanks 'having screw-threaded engagement with said frame 'and'being thereby axially adjustable. v 10. YIn a screen structure, the combination of a screen frame provided with two oppositely disposed grooves, each having Ya bottom and two sides, two `single guides centrally received between the Sides of ,said .grooves and `separated from the bottoms and sides'of said grooves, springs carried by one side of said frame vwithin one of said grooves and resting against the guide in such groove, a set of runners carried by said screen within such groove, in spaces not occupied by said springs, and provided with grooves receiving such guide, a second set ofrunners carried by said screen within the other groove and` provided with grooves which receive theother guide, and means for adjusting saidsecond set of runners toward and from the first mentioned Yset-[0f runners. JOSEPH E. JOHNSON; 

